March Amateur Garden Tips

A big working month for every serious gardener as Spring arrives and the sap rises!  The clocks change soon too to give you more time in the evenings to get cracking.

It is tree and shrub planting time so get cracking when the soil is damp but workable with a fork.  Click here for ‘How to Plant a Tree’
 

Feeding

Any plants grown in containers can now be top dressed with granular fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 (which we now stock) or Blood, Fish and Bone which can be forked lightly into the surface or simply well watered in.  You may also want to top dress shrubs and trees planted in the previous Spring to give them a good start into growth.

Buy Vitax.

Cabbage Palms / Cordyline - Winter damage

Click for more information & pictures
 

If your Cordyline (Cabbage Palm) has suffered in the Winter and its crown appears brown and dead (even if there are still green leaves below) it will soon die.  To save it you need to take drastic action and cut off the top.  New vigorous shoots will appear from the base of the plants or perhaps up the stem as well.

Click here for more details about caring for Cordyline.

 

Hard Pruning

Hard Pruning – prune back hard any fast growing plants from last season.  Lavatera, Abutilon and Fuchsias will benefit most from this treatment and flower far better in time from the vigorous new growth.
 

Lilies

Click for more information & pictures
 

Lilies thrive in containers and can be planted still, 6”-8” deep about 5 bulbs per 8”-10” pot.  According to the variety these can be stood outside and later brought on to the patio or terrace or placed amongst other plants in the garden.

Suckers on grafted plants

Removing suckers on grafted plants to keep plant integrity.